Phoenix-area OdySea Aquarium to open in July, will be largest aquarium in Southwest

By KTAR.com | January 17, 2016 at 3:06 pmUPDATED: January 19, 2016 at 12:19 pm

(Facebook photo via OdySea Aquarium)

PHOENIX — OdySea Aquarium is opening its doors to the public on July 2 and will be the largest aquarium in the Southwest, according to their website.

The aquarium is expected to be 200,000 square feet and have two levels. The facility projects to serve up to 15,000 visitors a day.

The aquarium will feature large-scale exhibits, touch pools, a 3D theatre, and the SeaTREK experience, which puts visitors in the water for a guided tour walking along the “ocean floor.” The experience does not require you to know how to swim or have a diving certificate.

The exhibit is set to include sharks, turtles, jellyfish, electric eels, sting-rays, octopus, penguins and more. The website also promises more to be revealed later in the year.

The OdySea Aquarium joins two other attractions that are already located in the same space. Butterfly Wonderland and the OdySea Mirror Maze neighbor the space where the aquarium is currently being constructed.

The area, titled “OdySea in the Desert,” is located off the Loop 101 on East Via De Ventura and North Dobson Road in Scottsdale.